Supplier News
Germany – Paul Gauselmann remains VDAI head
By Lewis - 17 June 2015
Paul Gauselmann has been confirmed in his position as Chairman of the industry association VDAI (German Amusement and Vending Machine Industry Association), during its annual general meeting. The Eastern Westphalian entrepreneur has now headed up the VDAI since 1981. He continues to campaign with great vigour for the future of commercial gaming and the interests of the German amusement and gaming industry. He will be supported by the Gauselmann board directors Jürgen Stühmeyer (Merkur Sales), Dr. Werner Schroer (Technology) and Manfred Stoffers (Marketing, Communication, Politics) who were appointed as committee members of the VDAI board.
The association members made their decision without opposition in favour that Paul Gauselmann should continue to carry out his position as Chairman for the next two years. This election result has shown how important it is to the VDAI members to thoroughly continue on the path chosen under the leadership of Paul Gauselmann to secure the future of commercial gaming in Germany – in particular taking the difficult political situation into account concerning the effects of the State Gambling Treaty and the State Amusement Arcade Laws of the different states as well as the further restrictions due to the revised Gaming Ordinance.
The entrepreneur has been substantially and decisively shaping the industry politics for almost fifty years. Paul Gauselmann became Member of the German AWP Association ‘Deutscher Automaten-Verband’ in North Rhine-Westphalia as early as 1966. Only four years later in 1970 he was appointed as Chairman and at the same time as Vice President of the German Operators Association ZOA (‘Zentralorganisation der Automatenunternehmer’). This was followed in 1981 by being elected as Chairman of the VDAI. During all this time he has always contended as he continues to do: “Only when the industry is doing well is it possible to participate in its success”.
Paul Gauselmann promised during the VDAI annual general meeting to continue to fight for not only the interests of the German AWP industry but also for the interests of the entire German amusement and gaming machine industry which employs over 70,000 people. “It is our joint goal to defend gaming centered around playing with small stakes and prizes against public prejudices and political aberrations”, stated Paul Gauselmann. As Chairman of the industry association he wishes to continue to fight against the impending spontaneous expropriation of large parts of the industry and against the destruction of jobs. “We’ve been representing amusement gaming with small stakes and prizes for sixty years that brings fun to many millions of people in bars and arcades without them being financially overwhelmed”.
